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Bentley Systems Expands Concrete Offerings Through Acquisition of S-Cube Futuretech

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Bentley Systems, Incorporated, a leading global provider of comprehensive software solutions for advancing infrastructure, recently announced the acquisition of Mumbai-based concrete building design and documentation software company S-Cube Futuretech Pvt. Ltd.

The addition of S-Cube Futuretech’s applications expands Bentley’s offerings specific to the needs of concrete engineering design and documentation software users in India, South East Asia, and the Middle East.

S-Cube Futuretech’s applications, including RCDC, RCDC FE, RCDC Plan, and Steel Autodrafter, deliver flexible and powerful design and documentation solutions for structural concrete building engineers and designers. Automated concrete documentation is localised to regional requirements and provides users with compelling value and capabilities which are complementary to Bentley’s widely used structural analysis, steel design, and BIM applications, STAAD, RAM, and AECOsim Building Designer.

“More than two billion people will fill the world’s cities over the next 30 years. This growth will continue to be concentrated in the developing markets of Asia, particularly India, China, and South East Asian countries. Efficient, automated, concrete design and detailing tools will be instrumental to every nation’s ability to address this demand,” said Raoul Karp, Bentley’s vice president of design engineering analysis.

Since 2014, Bentley Systems and S-Cube have collaborated to develop fully integrated concrete design and analysis applications. The acquisition brings together the knowledge base of S-Cube and Bentley’s respective teams of experts, representing decades of combined industry experience to provide state-of-the-art structural design and analysis technology.

“We are excited to be joining with S-Cube’s expert team whose proven technology provides interactive and automated concrete design and drawing capabilities to our STAAD, RAM, and AECOsim Building Designer users. S-Cube brings a wealth of experience in providing concrete design and drawing automation for the India, Middle East, and Southeast Asia markets,” said Santanu Das, senior vice president of design engineering for Bentley.

Sajit Nair, CEO of S-Cube Futuretech said, “As a global leader in the structural analysis and design space, Bentley brings state-of-the-art BIM and structural analysis technology, a strong user-centric ethos, and global market experience that will help scale our solutions to a much broader market. We are excited about bringing more functionality and capabilities to more users globally, in a shorter timeframe than we would have been able to otherwise.”

Grundfos Appoints New Head for Asia Pacific Region

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Image: www.eco-business.com

Leading pump manufacturer Grundfos has announced the appointment of Kim Jensen to the role of Group Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of Grundfos Asia Pacific region with effect from January 1st 2018.

In his new role, Kim will lead the company’s business across 22 countries including 13 wholly-owned sales companies and local assembly plants Grundfos operates in the region. He will also be spearheading opportunities for the company’s development and expansion in Asia Pacific.

Prior to his Asia Pacific role, Kim was Group Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) markets since 2015, where he oversaw 2,800 employees in areas of sales, marketing and customer service.

Kim has been with Grundfos for more than 25 years, working across Europe and the Middle East. Having held numerous senior management positions within Grundfos, Kim assumed the role of Group Senior Vice President in 2006, where he was in charge of developing Grundfos’ global Water Utility business, after which he served the Central and Eastern Europe (CEREG) markets in 2010.

Poul Due Jensen, Group Executive Vice President Sales, Marketing & Service, Grundfos said, “I’m looking forward to working with Kim to continue growing our business in the Asia Pacific. Over the years, Kim has done a fantastic job leading his team and building a strong sales approach for the EMEA markets. We are excited to bring his extensive experience and deep understanding of managing businesses in dynamic markets to this growing region.”

Kim succeeds Okay Barutçu, who held the role since 2014 and will be moving to Dubai to take the role of Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of Grundfos East Europe, Western Asia and Africa (EEWAA) markets. EEWAA is a newly defined sales region together with Western Europe (WEREG), which made up the original EMEA markets before the split effective 1 January 2018 to support Grundfos’ global growth ambition.

AECOM to Provide Site Supervision Services for Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link Project

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AECOM, a premier, fully integrated global infrastructure firm, has been appointed by China Communications Construction Company to provide site supervision services for the stations, viaducts, tunnels and depots of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project.

“AECOM is proud to be involved with this project, which is a tremendous game-changer for the economy of the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia,” said Ailee Loh, Vice President, Transportation, AECOM Malaysia. “To deliver this large-scale project, we are tapping into our strong local and international experience in delivering transport infrastructure, particularly in the rail sector. We look forward to leveraging world-class innovative approaches on this complex project that will ultimately benefit all of Malaysia.”

“Such massive rail infrastructure will open up new opportunities for the people in the East Coast states by facilitating the creation of new jobs, stimulating industries and enhancing mobility, in tandem with the growth that is being driven by the East Coast Economic Region initiative,” said Patrick Wong, Country Director, AECOM Malaysia.

The ECRL project is part of the Malaysian government’s comprehensive transportation plan and will link Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang to the East Coast through a strategic railway network. It is envisaged to serve all the main hubs of the East Coast Region, traversing Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and parts of Selangor, and be connected to Malaysia’s main rail network by the time it is completed in 2024.

“This project is also a great opportunity to further grow local talent in this field and create rail industry leaders whose expertise are very much sought after globally,” said Mr. Billy Wong, Regional Executive, Southeast Asia.

HVACR Vietnam 2018 Comes to Hanoi for 12th Edition

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HVACR Vietnam, the only focused and most established international industrial exhibition in the country, is coming to Hanoi for the first time for its 12th edition, on 18 – 20 April 2018 at the National Exhibition Construction Center (NECC), Hanoi.

HVACR Vietnam 2018 features a comprehensive showcase of the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Air Filtration & Purification, and Refrigeration technology and systems in the region.

The exhibition is set against a backdrop of emerging industry trends not only in the country but globally – seeing a paradigm shift in HVACR technologies, where majority of the changes are aimed at energy efficiency and higher energy performance.

For its 12th edition, the annual international exhibition will accentuate the energy efficient products and systems, delivering better ways to preserve our way of life, save the cost of the electricity and fuel, and aim for practical and sustainable implications.

As such, HVACR Vietnam 2018 proudly presents a special feature – “Guide to Building Energy-Efficient Homes and Offices”, demonstrating the key components and features of energy efficient construction that can be incorporated to modern smart homes and automated offices. These appliances and technologies are implemented to lower energy expenditure, improve indoor air quality, enhance home and office comfort, reduce air and moisture infiltration, and increase the durability of the property as a long-term investment.

This special showcase will be guided and led by Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC), the strategic partner for HVACR Vietnam 2018. VGBC is an international non-profit organisation, established in 2007 with the aim to raise awareness and build capacity for the development of green building in the country.

Apart from bringing the industry together to address the requirements of the region’s demand amid emerging industry trends, HVACR Vietnam 2018 also allows industry experts to explore business opportunities, source for latest products and solutions, and network with other professionals in the field.

HVACR Vietnam 2018 is targeted at the professionals within the industrial sector, including the following industries: building and construction, food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, retailers, trade associations, water and waste management.

Companies in the HVACR industry looking to expand their business in Vietnam and the region are welcome to register to exhibit at www.hvacrseries.com/vietnam.

Schneider Electric and Bolloré Logistics Strengthen Green Partnership

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Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, and Bolloré Logistics, a major player in international logistics and freight forwarding, have strengthened their partnership through a new contract to upgrade the power management systems at the Bolloré Logistics Singapore Headquarters with Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ Power Monitoring Expert, with the view to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.

EcoStruxure™ Power Monitoring Expert helps to maximise system reliability and optimise operational efficiency by tracking real-time power conditions, analyse power quality and network reliability.

This new system enables Bolloré Logistics to collect and organise data gathered from the company’s localGreen Hub facility’s electrical network, including monitoring points for critical loads such as server UPS as well as transfer pump, freezer and chiller functions.

This data is then presented as meaningful, actionable information via an intuitive web interface, allowing the company to make informed decisions on energy saving measures to improve operational efficiency, reduce energy-related costs, as well as optimise equipment utilisation and cost of operations.

Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ Power Advisor service will be used in tandem with the Power Monitoring Expert tool to identify gaps in the power management system and power quality issues within the larger electrical distribution system, and provide recommendations to ensure optimised performance and power reliability.

The EcoStruxure™ Power Advisor is a proactive analytics-based service for power management systems to deliver optimised performance and power reliability. This will be the first time Schneider Electric will be deploying the EcoStruxure™ Power Advisor within the logistics industry worldwide, as it is mostly used in critical facilities such as hospitals, data centers, oil refineries and more, demonstrating Bolloré Logistics’ commitment to be at the forefront of energy efficiency and sustainability.

“Our Green Hub office in Pioneer Turn is already equipped with Schneider Electric’s building management, card access, and CCTV systems. This new powerful energy management solution will help us operate in a more sustainable manner and adhere to the highest Quality, Health, Safety, Environment (QHSE) standards,” said Fabien Giordano, Regional Director – South East Asia of Bolloré Logistics.

Damien Dhellemmes, Country President, Singapore, Schneider Electric added: “Bolloré Logistics is more than a customer to us. We have been working for decades together in the transport and logistics field with Bolloré Logistics being a strategic supplier for Schneider Electric. More recently, we have supported BlueSG – car-charing programme by providing electrical components inside every EV-Charging station. We will continue to find synergies between us.”

Launched earlier this year, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ is an open, interoperable, IoT-enabled system architecture and platform that delivers enhanced value around safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability, and connectivity. EcoStruxure™ leverages advancements in IoT, mobility, sensing, cloud, analytics and cybersecurity to deliver Innovation at Every Level.

This includes Connected Products, Edge Control, and Apps, Analytics & Services, which has been deployed in more than 450,000 installations, with the support of 9,000 system integrators, connecting over 1 billion devices.

AGC and Kinestral Technologies Join Ventures to Accelerate Global Adoption of Smart-Tinting Glass

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AGC Asahi Glass, a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals, and high-tech materials, and Kinestral Technologies, maker of Halio smart-tinting glass, announced the creation of three joint venture companies that will sell, distribute, and service Halio to meet increasing global demand for smart city solutions. Formed to accelerate the adoption of Halio, the new ventures – Halio North America, Halio International, and Halio China – will be the exclusive sales and marketing agents for Halio smart-tinting glass in the commercial and residential housing industries.

Halio China includes a third partner: G-Tech Optoelectronics Corp. (GTOC), a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group. The three partners have been introducing Halio in their respective markets since the product was first unveiled in January 2017 at the BAU Trade Fair for Architecture, Materials and Systems in Munich, Germany.

“Partnerships are integral to the successful roll-out of HalioTM smart-tinting glass in the Asia Pacific region to support the growing number of green buildings. As such, joining forces with AGC gives us access to a global sales and support infrastructure, as well as decades of expertise in the use of glass in facades, while GTOC bolsters our manufacturing expertise and provides us access to China, one of the fastest growing markets for smart-tinting glass,” said S.B. Cha, CEO of Kinestral Technologies.

The technology

Halio technology enables glass to tint, reducing glare and blocking unwanted solar heat – automatically or on command. It looks like ordinary clear glass until it tints, achieving its darkest shade in less than 3 minutes, thus improving occupant comfort in smart homes and buildings while achieving up to 40 percent improvement in energy efficiency.

“We are convinced that Halio technology is poised to transform the glass industry,” said Jean- François Heris, senior executive officer of AGC and president of AGC Building and Industrial Glass Company. “Natural light is the #1 most desired feature in office designs, but conventional glass requires blinds, shades, awnings or architectural elements that block heat and glare. Halio gives people the best of the outdoors while meeting increasingly stringent energy codes.”

Jim Arnold, former senior vice president of sales at Control4 and DIRECTV, will head Halio North America. Alain Jardinet, a veteran executive of AGC Glass Europe, will lead Halio International which will sell to all markets outside of North America and China. Halio China will be headed by Alex Jiang, an executive of GTOC.

USG Boral to Invest US$20 Million in Vietnam to Expand Production

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Plasterboard production line to be expanded to meet growing demands

USG Boral, a global leader in building products technology, announced its plans to expand production in Vietnam, with a USD20 million investment in a plant at Hiep Phuoc Industrial Zone, Ho Chi Minh City.

The plant will support USG Boral’s commitment to the Vietnam market as the company works towards meeting the growing demand for high-quality plasterboards.

The production capacity for plasterboard is currently at 30 million m2. The new facility is set to increase production capacity by 17 million m2 and is targeted to reach a total capacity of 47 million m2 once it commences operations in September 2019.

“We have witnessed strong growth from this region so our decision to invest in the plant is a strategic one. We remain committed to building USG Boral’s presence in Southeast Asia. This expansion will see

USG Boral Vietnam plant in Ho Chi Minh City

USG Boral utilising our latest Sheetrock technology to provide superior building solutions for the Vietnam market,” said Mr. Frederic de Rougemont, CEO of USG Boral.

“We have seen demands for building materials rise rapidly in Vietnam’s expanding construction industry. The addition of this new capacity will allow USG Boral to continue to provide high quality products and services to our customers,” said Mr. Tran Thanh Sang, General Director, USG Boral Vietnam.

USG Boral was the first global corporation to establish a plasterboard production facility in Vietnam, commencing operations in 2006. Since then USG Boral has been a leader in the industry, supplying products to many of the major developments throughout the country. Their flagship products include SHEETROCK®, FireBloc, Durock® and Fiberock® which are adopted by contractors, homeowners and architects.

HOIANA Integrated Resort Set to Boost Economic Development in Central Vietnam

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Central Vietnam is fast emerging as the new hot tourist destination in Asia, and its position as a ‘must visit’ destination will be further cemented with the opening of HOIANA in 2019, Vietnam’s first world-class integrated resort (IR). Located between Danang, Vietnam’s third-largest city, and Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site, HOIANA, the giant US$4 billion venture on the outskirts of Hoi An, is now set to join the IR club, with the first phase scheduled to open in 2019.

The opening will be headlined by a world-class casino, an ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts®, a 445-room hotel and 200 buy-to-let condos; and a championship golf course-country club by Robert Trent Jones II. Recreational facilities will include a beach club and entertainment venue for live shows and events, water sports and dive centre, and a promenade packed with bars and restaurants.

Over the next 10 to 15 years, HOIANA’s master development plan envisages a host of complementary tourism and leisure-related projects through subsequent development phases. The ultimate vision is a thriving township of hotels, residential and lifestyle zones, trendy beachfront village, convention centre, hospitality training college, water sports hub, and a giant lagoon for safe year-round swimming. It is estimated that Phase One will create 2,000 jobs for local residents.

“HOIANA is set to rank among Asia’s most renowned resort destinations, offering a self-contained world of entertainment, leisure, pleasure and luxury lifestyle,” says HOIANA’s Head of Business Development, Ms Amy Do. “This unrivalled, world class integrated resort and leisure playground will set a new benchmark for high-end tourism in Vietnam, bringing economic prosperity and opportunity to Quang Nam province.”

The developers have committed to establishing a hospitality school that will train employees not only for HOIANA, but other tourism businesses in this growing region.

“HOIANA is set to be destination for visitors and residents alike. Beyond directly creating thousands of jobs, HOIANA will play an important role in supporting businesses in the community. This development is truly a game changer for the central Vietnam region,” concluded Ms. Do.

Hong Kong Tops Global Sustainable Cities Mobility Index

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Hong Kong leads the world for sustainable transport, according to the 2017 Sustainable Cities Mobility Index from Arcadis, a global design and consultancy for natural and built assets. The index was compiled for Arcadis by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr) and explores mobility through three pillars of sustainability – social (People), environmental (Planet) and economic (Profit) – to develop an indicative ranking of 100 of the world’s cities.

Boosted by its innovative and well-connected metro network and a high share of trips taken by public transport, Hong Kong manages to achieve many of the aims of an effective urban transport system – enabling comprehensive mobility, creating economic opportunity and enriching the lives of citizens, business and tourists alike.

Cities benefiting from ‘money, mass or maturity’, namely high wealth, significant global cities, do not necessarily lead the ranking in sustainable urban mobility. Although these factors can help, we do see wealthy, large and/or older cities not automatically punching their ticket to sustainable urban mobility.

Aside from Hong Kong, two other Asian cities rank highly, taking two of the remaining top ten spots and matching the results of the 2016 Sustainable Cities Mobility Index. Modern metro systems, large airports and low usage of private vehicles help boost the rankings of developed Asian cities such as Seoul (4th) and Singapore (8th). It is however, a tale of two halves in Asia as other cities would score higher were it not for damaging levels of urban pollution and emissions while metropolises such as Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur are some of the world’s least sustainable for mobility.

European cities dominate the top of the overall Index, occupying seven of the leading ten spots. Zurich, Paris and Prague are the highest placed European cities, ranking second, third and fourth respectively, with strong scores in the Planet and Profit sub-indices due to established infrastructure, efficient metro systems and commitment to green technology.

North American cities are spread throughout the overall Index; while citizens of some American cities enjoy well-funded and comprehensive transport systems, many cities in the U.S. and Canada are undermined by a reliance on private vehicles and underdeveloped public transport options.

The full findings can be found here.

Close to 69,000 Buyers Visit Twin Lighting Fairs and Eco Expo

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Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 19th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), the second Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo and the 12th Eco Expo Asia concluded with close to 69,000 buyers from 151 countries and regions visiting the three events. The figure is 7 percent higher than last year’s attendance.

“According to an on-site survey, 93 per cent of the interviewees believed that the development toward smart cities and smart homes will facilitate the advancement of the lighting industry in the coming two years,” said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau.

Cross-industry Cooperation
The Autumn Lighting Fair was held from 27 to 30 October at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), while the other two fairs were held at the AsiaWorld-Expo from 26 to 29 October. The three parallel fairs offered a one-stop sourcing platform and synergy to provide more cross-industry business opportunities.

Gathering close to 3,100 exhibitors and nearly 55,000 buyers, the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) and the HKTDC Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo formed the world’s largest lighting marketplace. Meanwhile, Eco Expo Asia, jointly organised by the HKTDC and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, and co-organised by the Environment Bureau of the HKSAR Government, featured nearly 340 exhibitors and attracted more than 14,000 buyers.

Sales Expected To Grow 16 Percent In 2018
The HKTDC commissioned independent on-site surveys during the Autumn Lighting Fair and Outdoor and Tech Light Expo. Among the 636 exhibitors and buyers interviewed, about 95 per cent of the respondents expected a better or stable market prospect in 2018, with the overall sales of products expected to increase by 16 per cent on average.

On the global outlook, the survey found that respondents were most optimistic towards the Chinese mainland, followed by Japan and ASEAN markets. Among emerging markets, the industry is most interested in expanding business in the Chinese mainland (24 percent), ASEAN (17 percent) and the Middle East (7 percent).

On products, respondents considered household lighting (29 percent) to have the greatest growth potential in 2018, followed by LED and green lighting products (24 percent) and commercial lighting (16 percent).

“Internet of Lights” – a new trend ahead
During the fairs, industry leaders, who were invited to share their insights on the latest industry and products trends, revealed that the function of lighting products has evolved to become the “Internet of lights,” which has become an essential trend for smart homes.

“Light is everywhere, it is the perfect carrier for transmitting and collecting data,” said David Barnby, Tridonic’s Senior Vice President (Global Sales & Marketing). “It will converge with the Internet, and the lighting industry has to work fast with other sectors to capture the new opportunities.”

Shanghai Pudong Intelligent Lighting Association Secretary-General Lighting Dai also pointed out that future lighting products must be connected with the Internet. “The industry must leverage cross-industry technologies, including cloud platforms, artificial intelligence, sensors, intelligent modules, voice recognition and software applications, to develop smart lights and achieve inter-operability with other devices.”

New Startup Zone at Eco Expo Asia Showcases Green Innovations
The HKTDC’s Benjamin Chau pointed out that a new Startup zone was set up at Eco Expo Asia and a Startup Forum was organised to help green start-ups explore more business opportunities, bringing exciting new elements to the expo.

Hong Kong start-up Rooftop Republic Urban Farming’s co-founder Michelle Hong said the expo helped her company broaden its clientele and reach out to potential partners. “Buyers from the Chinese mainland, Germany and Morocco are not just interested in our green walls and urban farming solutions, but also keen on our software, which includes workshops and educational programmes. Discussions with the MTR and a few hotels are also underway.”